Wedding Day
by seaweedfma
Summary: Maes Hughes is getting married, and Roy comes to terms that he is going to lose his lover. And Gracia is more observant than Roy thought. Roy Mustang x Maes Hughes, Maes Hughes x Gracia. Rated T for mentions of sex. Original anime ep. 25 spoilers.


Title: Wedding Day (Magna_Opera Mission No. 4)  
Author: Seaweed Otter  
Rating: PG-13  
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist  
Pairing: Roy Mustang x Maes Hughes and Maes x Gracia  
Summary: Weddings are not always happy occasions.  
Disclaimer: Angst and mentions of Yaoi. (And episode 25 spoilers)  
Notes: The characters don't belong to me, of course.

***

Roy could hardly believe that the day had come. He had dreaded it as much as he was excited by it. He knew he should be happy that his best friend- and lover- was getting married. But he was well aware that when the ceremony was over, Maes would be totally off limits. And once again, he would be completely and utterly alone.

He took another swig of his whiskey on the rocks. The bar wasn't supposed to be open until after the ceremony, but the bartender had taken pity on the man who looked like he hadn't slept in days.

If only he had known how close to the truth that was.

A few days before the wedding, Roy and Maes had spent their last night together. It was raw and wild- not at all like their liaisons from in the past. Maes knew that Roy had been desperate and afraid, so he didn't complain about the pain that Roy's scratches caused. He just hoped that the long red marks the alchemist had left on his back would fade before his wedding night.

Roy hadn't slept since that evening. He'd tried, but every time he closed his eyes, he could see Maes lying with him- smell the almost sweet combination of aftershave and light cologne, and taste the man on his lips- slightly dry and often smelling faintly of the coffee that he loved to drink.

In a way, Roy was almost glad when it was time for the wedding ceremony to start. At least he would be busy, and hopefully that would keep his wandering mind off of the man that he was about to lose forever.

He threw a tip to the bartender, downed the last of the whiskey, and wandered back to where Maes and the groomsmen were getting ready. Roy smiled at Havoc, who was fidgeting in his tuxedo, like a child at church. He stopped as soon as he saw Roy staring at him and crossed his arms, silently wishing that he had time for one more cigarette.

The alchemist walked over to Maes and gave him a short hug. He wanted to do so much more- all of the groomsmen who were in the room were aware of their past- but he knew that it would only make things worse for both of them, so he broke the hug quickly and pasted on a smile for the rest of the world.

"You ready, buddy?" Roy grinned and clapped the groom on the back, almost making him fall forward.

"I… think so. It isn't too late to turn tail and run, right?"

"I don't think so, but I've seen Gracia when she's upset. I wouldn't want her chasing after me!"

Maes laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right." His face turned serious. "Thanks, for everything, Roy. I wouldn't be the man I am today without you." Roy silently smiled, and hoped that Maes couldn't see the moisture trying to form in the corners of his eyes.

It wasn't long before the music started. They lined up and marched down the aisle, taking their places before the altar. Roy tried as hard as he could not to stare at Maes, but the man was so terribly handsome in his tuxedo. As much as the alchemist attempted to keep his vision focused downwards- onto his shiny shoes- his onyx eyes kept wandering back to his former lover.

The music changed, and every single set of eyes looked to the back of the small chapel. The two wooden doors opened, and in stepped Gracia- looking more radiant and ravishing that anyone had ever seen her before.

Her mid-length hair was curled and primped- perfect. Not a single hair was out of place. The ivory white dress was sleeveless, cut low over her bosom. The top half was decorated tastefully in a v-shaped sequin pattern, accentuating her curves and flattening her stomach. The bottom came out in a bell-shape, with a long, thin train that was held by one of the bridesmaid's daughters.

Roy felt his mouth go dry, and his heart skipped a beat. He had been out with a lot of women before, but none of them had ever compared to the beauty that was walking down the aisle.

The ceremony itself was a blur to the alchemist, though it was thankfully short. At the end- when the preacher declared that they were husband and wife, and they shared a long, passionate kiss, Roy closed his eyes and looked away. He was simply unable to forget the kiss that they had shared just a few days before. He felt his knees go weak, and was glad for the small, white, wooden railing around the altar that he could hold onto. His stomach churned, and his throat felt tight. He fought back the urge to run to the bathroom, to either wretch his guts, or cry his eyes out.

But he fought on, like the good little wooden solider that he was trained to be. 'Don't show weakness. Don't get emotional. Just get through it.' That's what he kept telling himself. In actuality, the only thing that had kept him going throughout the reception was the same bartender who had taken pity on him before. He was helped the alchemist by pouring double shots of whiskey.

When it was all finally over, the happy couple piled into a car and drove off to start their honeymoon, and Roy collapsed into one of the empty chairs and banged his head down onto the table. He simply wasn't strong enough- emotionally or physically- to hold himself up any longer.

Roy wasn't sure if it had been a minute or an hour before he felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently. "Hey, boss. You've been sitting there a while. They need to lock up here, but I know a place where we can go and get a couple of beers, if you want." Roy looked up, not caring about his tired, red rimmed eyes. He managed a small smile for the blond haired man that stood by his chair- grinning- with a smoldering, half-smoked cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Thanks, Lieutenant. But I think I just want to go home."

"I'll drive you, sir."

"Thank you, Havoc."

A few weeks after the funeral, Roy and Lieutenant Hawkeye went to the Hughes residence to help Gracia go through her late husband's effects. Hawkeye played with Elysia in the living room, while Roy and Gracia were upstairs in the bedroom, pulling out boxes from her closet.

Tears of laughter and sadness were shed as they went through stacks of photographs, knick-knacks, and various other keepsakes. At the very bottom of one of the larger boxes was Gracia's wedding dress. It was the tiniest bit yellowed by age, and the bottom was dirty where it had drug across the floor when she was dancing, but otherwise it was in great shape.

"You know, you looked perfect in your dress that day. I don't think I ever told you that." Roy smiled, and watched the blush rise in her cheeks. "I'm sorry that I didn't act like a Best Man that day. My mind was… elsewhere."

Gracia held the dress to her face, feeling the rough sequins across her cheek. Even after all this time, she could ever so faintly smell the perfume that she had been wearing. And she could smell Maes. Her eyes watered, but she smiled- a melancholy smile.

"I know, Roy. I know that you two cared for each other, a lot." Roy's eyes went wide, but he said nothing. His voice had left him. "Maes was never good at keeping secrets from me." She said, chuckling lightly.

"He always wanted to talk- it never mattered to him what it was about, as long as we were chatting. Sometimes he would end up blurting out things that he didn't mean to. I can't say I understood back then. I'm still not sure I understand it now, but you two had a long history of friendship, and I know that it eventually turned into more." She paused for a moment and let out a soft sigh. "But I also know that he gave up someone he cared deeply for when he married me, and that he was faithful up until..." She stopped and sniffled, holding her palms up to her face.

Roy walked over to the kneeling woman and gave her a soft hug. "He was always faithful to you, even with... temptations. You're his entire world, and there was no way that he was going to mess that up by doing something he knew he would regret."

She sighed and looked at the dress, then slowly folded it and put it back inside the box, closing the lid. "What do I do, Roy? I can't do this. I just… I can't go on." Gracia leaned her head on Roy's shoulder and started to sob. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Roy gently held her, rubbing his hands against her back.

"You do what I did when I lost the one I loved. You take it one day at a time." He paused for a second. "I know- it isn't the same, what I lost- but believe me when I say that I understand. I can imagine the pain that you are going through. If you ever need me, I'll be here. Hawkeye and I will come visit you often- to check up on you and Elysia- and if it ever gets to be too much, call me. Any time. And I *mean* any time.

Gracia looked up into Roy's eyes, still crying but smiling softly. "Thanks, Roy. You're a really good man."

He shrugged and smiled. "What are best friends for?"


End file.
